On the Surface

Did you ever see someone you didn't like? Did you cast judgment on someone that you didn't know?

What is it about us that makes decide if we like someone or not? Why is it that we can't get along with everyone? Is it them? Or maybe its us.?

We can except that we don't have to like everyone and we find this easy to process in our minds. We simply cast people aside and label them as meaningless to us.

If they can't offer anything to our lives, so we just ignore them. Why is it that if they have no value to us we don't pay attention to them?

Can we offer them our friendship without the expectation of them to be a friend to us?

Sometimes there is a need for someone to intervene and be a friend to someone without being asked to. Sometimes we have to intentionally be a friend to someone without getting an invitation.

When someone offers you something that you didn't actually earn, you could perceive as a friendly gesture. An offer of friendship. Can you befriend someone without having a relationship with them? Absolutely!

I walked by an older man that was in an ally and he was trying to load something into his truck. While he was sweating and struggling and I could have just stood there and waited and see if he would ask me to help him or, I could have just kept walking. But my emediate response upon seeing his situation was to ask him; "can I give you a hand?"

Some believe that if someone offers something to us that we can except it or pass it bye. Which is fine but there should be an acknowledgment for the effort. A sense of gratitude. A sense of appreciation for the offer. A simple thank you or no thank you.

I helped the man because I wanted to. Without the expectation of his gratitude. He did thank me, which was nice but, that wasn't what motivated me to help him.

Some believe that gratitude isn't necessary. They didn't ask for it so then they don't need to be grateful for it.

Anything that I receive from someone that I didn't earn, I am grateful to them for.

My salvation through Jesus Christ is a great example. I didn't ask him to, but he laid down his life for me so that I may have life.

1 Thessalonians 5:18
give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 5:20
always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.